Steam-pipe-connection packing



' H. v. STEVEN-5 STEAM PIPE CONNECTION PACKING Jan. 26 ,1926.

Filed Oct, 1924 A ilit 1% ATTORNEY Patented .lan. 2:6, 1926.

UNITED STA HENRY V. STEVENS, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

STEAM-PIPE-CONNECTION PACKING.

Application filed October 23, 1924. Serial No. 745,358.

peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Steam-Pxpe-Connection Packings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyipg drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, vhich form a part'of this specification.

This invention relates to a packing for steam pipes and particularly to a packing for steam pipe connections for locomotives. The steam pipe from the boiler of a lOCOlllO- tive passes through the smoke box in order tosupply steam to the cylinders. The furnace of the locomotive is equipped with a forced draft, the forced draft being generated by steam exhausting into the smoke boxunder the smoke stack as is well understood.

In order to provide the highest forced draft efiiciency, the smoke box must he air tight but with the ordinary locomotive construction, the air leaks around thesteam pipe where it passes out of the smoke box thereby cutting down the partial vacuum which is created in the smoke box by the steam and consequently cutting down the amount of air that can be drawn through the furnace grate.

By efliciently packing the opening in the" smoke box through which the steam pipe passes to make the steam pipe connection with the pipe to the cylinders of the engine, I caueliminate, the leakage in the smoke box and this in locomotive practice is a very important feature. I-shall hereinafter refer to the invention as a steampipe' connection ecause it connects the steam pipe. to the smoke box in cache manner that leakage will be prevented but it is to be understood of course that the important feature of the invention is the provision .of adequate means for making the connection in such a manner that leaks will not occur.

surrounding the steam The novelty of the invention will be clearly understood by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whieh- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional viei through a conventional smoke box showing my invention applied, the steam pipe being in elevation.

Fig. is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the steam pipe.

Fig. 3 is'a perspective view of the collar pipe opening.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a dia phragm connecting the pipe to the collar.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a ring cooperating with the diaphragm and pipe, and

Fig. 6 is a similar View of a ring cooperating with the diaphragm and collar.

The smoke box 1 is of usual construction.

It is provided with an opening 2 in its wall through which the steam pipe 3 projects. The steam pipe, it is to be understood is the end of the steam generating coil leading from the boiler and its outer end 4 is to be connected to the steam line tothe engine cylinders in the usual way, and for this purpose'the usual flange 5 is shown. The pipe 3 is illustratedas provided. with a rigid collar 6 spaced from the flange 5. The collar 6 may be cast integral with the pipe 3 for new work or it may be shrunk, bolted or fastened to: the pipe 3 by any suitable means where the invention is to be applied on existing installations.

The manner of applying the collar 6 constitutes no part of my invention and it. is obvious that any methods may be employed for locating it at the desired point. tened to the edgeof the opening 2 in the smoke box 1 is a sealing collar 7. The sealing collar 7 is provided with an. inner flange 8. and an outer flange 9 at its respective ends. the inner end of the collar 7 pro jecting slightly beyond the inner flange so that it can be forced into the opening 2 as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

Vfhen the collar is in the position. shown in Fig. 1, the inner edge of the opening 2 is welded to the smoke box as at 10 and the outer edge of the flange 8 is welded to the smoke box as indicated at- 11. A plate 12 isused as a packing wall to prevent the packing 13 from being pulled, into the A split diaphragm 14 having 'a central opening 15 substantially the diameter of the pipe 3 is slipped over the flange 5 so that its inner edge 16 will rest upon the collar 6 and its outer edge 17 will rest upon the flange 9. The inner portion 16 is separated from the outer portion 17 by an expansion rib 18 which is concavo-convex or in the form of a corrugation so as to allow for ex-- pension and contraction. Since the diaphragm 14 is provided with a slit 19, it will be apparent that it may be easily slipped over the flange 5 due to the fact that the diaphragm is flexible, and easily twisted. After the diaphragm is over the flange 5, the slit 19 can be sealed. The diaphragm is now fastened to the collar and the pipe. This is accomplished in the following manner.

A two-piece ring consisting of two similar circular members 20 and 21 withlap joints 22 and 23 is slipped around the pipe 3 between the collar 6 and the flange 5 and bolts or other suitable fastening devices 24 are then passed through the split ring through the portion 16 of the diaphragm '14 and into the collar 6. Then the ring 25 shown in Fig. 6 is placed upon the outer face of the portion 17 of the diaphragm 14 and it, to-

gether with the diaphragm 14 and the.

flange 9 are fastened in clamped position by the bolts 26 k Since the collar 7 is connected to the smoke box by a sealed joint preferably by welding and since the pipe 3 is connected to the collar 7 by an air tight connection, it will be obvious that no air can leak through the opening 2. Consequently the great disadvantage heretofore encountered when the tail. what appears to me to be the very best form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown for obviously changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

- That I claim and desire to secure by Let ters-Patent is 1- being expansible. Y I

2. In combination, a locomotive smoke box having a steam pipe opening, a steam pipe extending from the smoke box through said opening, a rigid collar surrounding the steam pipe, and separate means connecting opposite ends of the collar with the smoke box and with the steam pipe, one of said means being expausible.

3. In combination, a locomotive smoke box having a steam pipe opening,- a steam pipe extending from the smoke box through said opening, a collar surrounding and spaced from the steam pipe, having one end permanently sealed to the smoke box and its, other end removably and flexibly connected with the steam pipe, a plate-surrounding the inner end of the pipe, sealed to the smoke box and closing. said steam pipe opening, and packing within the space formed by the steam pipe, the collar, the flexible connection and said plate.

box having a steam pipe opening therein, a steam pipe projecting'through the opening, a collar, means for providing an air tight joint between the inner end of the collar and the edge of the opening, a collar on the pipe, a diaphragm connecting the two c'ollars, a packing between the steam pipe 'and the first named collar, and a plate surrounding the pipe and closing the inner end of the first named collar to prevent the packing from being dislodged by suction in the smoke box.

5.-In combination, a locomotive-smoke box having a steam pipe opening in its wall, a steam pipe passing through the opening and provided with Q' collar outside the smoke box, a packing cbllar projecting from the smoke box wall Isorrounding the pipe and being of greater diameter than-the pipe, a diaphragm having an opening through which the steam pipe projects, a split ring surrmmding the pipe fastening devices for clamping the diaphragm between the split ring and the collar on the ipe, a ring having a diameter substantia ly equal to the diameter of the packin collar and fastening devices clamping t e diaphragm be-' tween the last mentioned ring and the collar:

6. In combination, a locomotive' smoke box having a steam pipe opening in its well, a'gteam pipe passing through theopening 4. In combination, a locomotive smoke.

t ween the split pipe, :1 ring having a diameter substantially and provided with an collar outside the smoke box, a packing collar prqeoting from Jbhe smoke box Wall surrounding the pipe ring and the collar on the equal to the diameter of the pecking collar and fastening devices clamping the diaphragm between the last mentioned ring and the collar, the collar having a conczivoconvex portion between its inner and outer edges to perinifi the diaphragm to expzriml anu contract radially.

7. A pecking collar for locomotive smoke boxes comprising a collar halving flanges at its respective ends, a ring, a iiiin, means for clamping the diephra cen the ring and one of the flanges a s5 coller iio fit around the steam pipe of itl'ie lo comotive passing through the smoke he and fastening devices for clamping the cilia phregin between the split collar and a pot}: tion oi: the steam pipe In eestimony whereof I Ell'llX hire:

JERRY V, ST'EV INS. 

